Churches crammed for memorial service

Sydney: Hundreds of people packed a Sydney church on Monday for a memorial service for Maria Teresa Salisach-Rowe, wife of International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch. Olympic flags have been flying at half mast since Maria Teresa, 67, lost her battle with cancer at the weekend.

Australia's Governor-General Sir William Deane and swimming great Dawn Fraser, who accompanied Samaranch to Friday's Olympic opening ceremony, were among more than 350 people who crammed into St Patrick's, one of Australia's oldest churches.

The IOC executive board and senior vice-president Dick Pound paid their respects at the simple Catholic service. Pound is standing in at the Games for Samaranch who returned to Spain on Saturday. He arrived just hours after his wife of 45 years had died.

A private funeral will be held in Barcelona, and Samaranch is expected to return to Sydney before the closing ceremony.



(c) Reuters Limited.